Vehicle tyres are mounted on wheels that are bolted to a hub. A conventional vehicle tyre has a bead on each side to contact inner and outer rims on the wheel. The tyre locates inside the rims and the internal pressure of the tyre presses the bead firmly against the rim to secure the tyre on the wheel. The rim remains visible with the tyre in position so the diameter of the rim has an impact on the appearance of the vehicle. It is common to specify different diameter wheels to alter the vehicle's appearance. However, the handling characteristics of the vehicle may be affected by the diameter of the wheel in relation to that of the tyre. It would be desirable to be able to alter the appearance of the wheel without affecting vehicle performance.
To avoid the tyre being debeaded from a wheel, it is known to use a bead lock (also referred to as a rim lock) wheel to clamp the tyre bead in position. Rather than provide the wheel with a rim for contacting an exterior of the tyre, the wheel is provided with an inner ring which forms a first clamping surface against which an interior of the tyre locates. An annular outer ring forms a second clamping surface for positioning against an exterior of the tyre to clamp the tyre in position. The outer ring is sized to match the inner ring so as not to impede the performance of the tyre. The bead lock wheel is a structural component and there is a significant weight penalty.
The inventors have recognised that it would be desirable to be able to change the appearance of a wheel for a vehicle.